1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah,
when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried
away captive unto Babylon.

4. And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it
seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth
good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.

Here Jeremiah pursues more at large what he had briefly touched upon before; for the Hebrews were wont, in a few words, to
state the substance of the whole, and then to explain more diffusely what, they had briefly said. Jeremiah had before told
us that some of the Babylonian generals had been sent to release him from prison; and he added that he had been committed
to the care of Gedaliah, who had been set over the poor of the land. He now
tells us, that he, as yet bound with chains, had been brought forth to Ramah in that miserable condition. These things
appear inconsistent, but, as I have said, we must bear in mind, that there is an omission in that summary, which we have noticed.
For, in the first instance, Jeremiah only said, that he had been freed from his chains; but he now states the manner more
distinctly, and, as it were, the different parts of the transaction. Then this order ought to be especially noticed.

Moreover, this chapter so begins, that he seems throughout the chapter to have forgotten the introduction. He says, that a
word came to him; he afterwards declares historically, how he had been brought to Ramah, and then that he had been released there,
and also that Gedaliah was set over the remainder of the
people: in short, there is not in this long’ passage any mention made of any prophecy; but there is inserted a whole historical
narrative before the Prophet expresses what God had committed to him, after the city was taken, and after he had been restored
to his former liberty. When, therefore, he says here, that a word came to him, we must wait until he has completed what we find
in this chapter; for he will then return to this prophecy.

Let us now consider the words. After Nebuzaradan, he says, dismissed him from Ramah, etc.; into which place he had been brought by the guards, when he was as yet bound with chains. There is then no
doubt but that the leaders of the army had ordered Jeremiah to be brought there, after he was taken out of the court of
the prison, and that he was brought there in the presence of all the people; for it is probable also that all the Jews, who
were to be led into exile, were brought there too, and that they were there mustered, that none might escape, for they would
have slipped off here and there, had they not been delivered to guards. When, therefore, all the captives were there, Nebuzaradan
ordered Jeremiah to be brought forth, not for the sake of degrading him, for, as we have seen, the king had been solicitous
about his life; and no doubt this coutier wished to gratify his king in every way: but it was, on the contrary, for the purpose
of an indirect reproof to all the people, as though he would honor the servant of God, who had so faithfully warned them,
and for so long a time, even above forty years, and would set before them their wickedness, and also their ingratitude, for
having so cruelly treated God’s servant.

This then was the reason why Nebuzaradan wished Jeremiah to come bound with chains, and to be released in the presence of
all the people; it was that the Jews might at length be ashamed of their pride and impiety against God, and of their ingratitude
towards the holy Prophet. Nebu-zaradan then did not treat Jeremiah reproachfully; but he brought him forth in chains, that
he might publicly expose the wickedness of the whole nation.

He says, that an option was given him by Nebuzaradan; so that if he wished, he might remain in his own country, and choose the best place for himself,
and the situation which was most agreeable to him; but if he chose rather to go to Babylon, there he might go. This, certainly,
was a liberal offer. The Prophet was not only freed from prison and loosed from His chains; but liberty was so given him,
that he alone was free, while the whole
nation was reduced to bondage. For they who remained had no liberty to go elsewhere. But Nebuzaradan gave here a free
option to Jere-mime, so that he was at liberty either to live in Chaldea, or to remain in any place he wished, or in any part
of the earth.

But before he says this, he administers reproof to the people, and says, Jehovah thy God hath spoken evil on this city; and he hath brought it, and made it to come. Here Nebuzar-adan undertook the prophetic office, and spoke in high terms of God’s righteous vengeance on the people. There is no doubt but that God had raised up such a teacher
to the Jews; for they had for forty years and more obstinately rejected celestial truth. God had not ceased kindly to invite
them to repentance, and to promise them pardon and salvation, provided they repented. As then God had not ceased for so long
a time, and continually to address them according to his paternal goodness,
and at the same time had spoken to the deaf, they deserved to hear such a preacher as Nebuzaradan, who now contumeliously
upbraided them, that they had brought this evil on themselves, because they had been disobedient and rebellious against God,
as they had not obeyed his word.

There is here a remarkable example set before us, so that we may learn, that when God addresses us by his servants, we ought
immediately to render obedience to him; let us learn to fear when he threatens us, and learn to entertain hope when he offers
his favor to us. For if we reject the Prophets when they are sent to us, other teachers will arise, who will deride us, and
though they may be themselves ungodly, they will yet
upbraid us with our impiety. This then is the doctrine we ought to gather from this passage, in which we see that Nebuzaradan,
as though gifted with the prophetic spirit, severely rebuked the people. He, indeed, addressed Jeremiah, and seems to have
included him with the people, when he said, Thy God hath spoken — because ye have sinned
and have been rebellious. But Nebuzaradan, no doubt, thus highly commended the faithfulness of Jeremiah, because he had been true and faithful in his
vocation and office, he then did not make him as one of the people, nor did he mean that he had sinned with others, or had
been rebellious against God. But, in the first, place, he addressed Jeremiah, Thy God, he said; and this was expressed by way of honor, even that God was the God of Jeremiah; for though the people boasted that
they were holy, yet Nebuzaradan here indirectly condemned their foolish boastings, since he inti-mated that Jeremiah alone
was worthy of being deemed one of God’s servants, as though he had said, that the Jews were unworthy of the honor of glorying
in God’s name, or of professing it: Thy God then hath spoken The rest tomorrow.